State Democratic Chairman John Currie has a new part-time job as a public information officer with the Board of Social Services in Passaic County, The Record reports. The county hasn’t filled that role in more than a decade and it pays $92,000.

But here’s what’s odd: There are no set hours. And if Currie keeps the job for three years, his pension will be based on that $92,000 salary rather than the $22,000 he makes at the Passaic County Board of Elections.

What strikes me is the tone officials take when reporters like The Record’s Richard Cowen ask about this as a pension booster.

“I’m sure people will spin this anyway, but we feel quite confident about the hire. We think he’s going to do an outstanding job,” Freeholder Assad Akhter, who sits on the social services board, told The Record’s Richard Cowen.

What’s to spin? It’s obvious what’s going on. Just like it was when Democrats rushed through a bill to change the law so Dana Redd would be eligible for a pension based on her new $275,000 job. By the way, the pension system is still underfunded by tens of billions of dollars.

New Jersey’s Education Support Professionals stand up for their students every day. Now, lawmakers need to stand up for them. No one should live under constant threat of unfair treatment and privatization. It’s time to show New Jersey’s Educational Support Professionals the respect they deserve. Learn more.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Yeah, well the attorney general privilege is not dead because of the way the Justice Department is going to approach this.” — Former Gov. Chris Christie, contradicting President Trump

WHAT TRENTON MADE

TAX HIKES — “Treasurer makes case for tax hikes as lawmakers take wait-and-see approach,” by POLITICO's Ryan Hutchins: Unless the Legislature agrees to raise taxes, New Jersey will struggle to pay its bills and will be unable to maintain a healthy surplus in the next fiscal year, acting Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio told state lawmakers Tuesday as she impressed on them the need to create new revenue streams. Simply maintaining the “status quo” would leave the state in the hole by $161 million in the fiscal year that starts in July, Muoio said. That would mean no increase in the state’s pension payment, no boost to school aid, no money for a surplus and no continuation of Democratic priorities lawmakers added to the current budget. “It’s time to face the facts,” Muoio told the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The remarks by the treasurer appeared designed to convince skeptical Democrats they have no choice but to go along with Murphy’s tax-hike plans. But even after the hearing, the first of the year to feature testimony from state officials, the Democrats said they still aren’t sold on raising taxes. Read the report

—“Murphy budget revenue near target, but uncertainty remains, OLS says,” by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed budget relies on reasonable revenue assumptions, provided lawmakers agree to raise taxes by nearly $1.7 billion to pay for new spending and other tax cuts, according to the state's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services. The Legislature’s budget analysts said during a hearing Tuesday that they see a small gap of about $180 million over two fiscal years — a hole that could easily be closed given the larger context of the $37.4 billion spending plan Murphy presented in March. But the next few weeks could change things. With tax returns due next week, OLS staff say they just aren’t certain whether they are right about how much the state will collect Read the report

THE TEACHER WHO ROBBED A BANK — “Here are the reasons why 76 teachers lost their N.J. licenses last year,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kelly Heyboer: “One was accused of bending back the fingers and rapping the knuckles of uncooperative students. Another allegedly helped kids cheat on state tests. A third robbed a bank. Last year, New Jersey yanked the teaching licenses of 76 teachers and school officials for a wide variety of misconduct, sexual abuse, crimes and other allegations inside and outside the classroom, according to a NJ Advance Media review of state records.” Read the report

JERSEY JOE FOR JUSTICE — “Botched murder convictions prompt call for N.J. to review if others are wrongly jailed,” by NJ Advance Media’s S.P. Sullivan: “New Jersey needs to create a statewide commission to review claims of wrongful conviction, a state lawmaker said Monday, pointing to the case of two Paterson men freed after 24 years thanks to new DNA evidence. Prosecutors dropped charges against Eric Kelley and Ralph Lee on Friday — seven months after a judge granted them new trials, and more than three years after evidence surfaced pointing to another suspect. State Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris, said the case ‘proves that our criminal justice system is in need of reform.’” Read the report

PLUG IT IN, PLUG IT IN — "Another push to get more clean cars on New Jersey's roads," by NJ Spotlight's Tom Johnson: “Sen. Bob Smith, the chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, introduced a new bill (S-2382) that would have the state provide $100 million a year for the next three years in rebates to consumers who switch to zero-emission vehicles. For Smith, the transformation of the transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, is becoming a pet cause … His latest bill doesn’t mention where the $100 million annually to fund a rebate program would come from, leaving it up to the state Board of Public Utilities to come up with a revenue source, other than the general fund.” Read the report

POLL WATCH — The Monmouth University Polling Institute will release its first poll today on Gov. Murphy’s performance.

—“Bramnick Raises $175K in Westfield at ‘Rally the Reasonable’ Show”Read the report

UNLIKE WHITMAN, PRUITT DOESN’T HAVE EXPERIENCE FRISKING PEOPLE — “Ex-EPA chief Whitman says no need for Scott Pruitt's spending on security, travel,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Christie Todd Whitman knows what it's like to sit behind the desk in the wood-paneled executive office on the third floor of the Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington, D.C. And based on her experience as the EPA administrator from 2001-2003, there's no need for the desk to be replaced with an expensive, bullet-proof model, she said. Nor does the office need to be retrofitted with a sound-proof security booth — another lavish feature reportedly pursued by Scott Pruitt, the current EPA administrator, whose spending and travel costs are the focus of the one of the more recent Trump administration firestorms. ‘That's absolutely ridiculous,'’ Whitman, the former New Jersey governor said in an interview with the North Jersey Record and Northjersey.com on Monday. ‘It's the Environmental Protection Agency. C'mon!’” Read the column

— “Trump EPA chief 'poster child for culture of corruption' and must go, N.J.'s Pallone says,” by New Jersey Advance Media’s Jonathan D. Salant: “Rep. Frank Pallone, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce, called Tuesday for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to step down, calling him ‘the poster child for the Trump administration's shameful culture of corruption’" Pruitt, who sued the EPA when he was Oklahoma attorney general, has been criticized for rolling back environmental regulations under President Donald Trump. ‘Pruitt has repeatedly used his position to enrich himself rather than protect the lives of the American people he was appointed to serve’" Pallone, D-6th Dist., said in a statement along with other Democratic members of the committee.” Read the report

‘HEY MARK, NOW MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO GENERATE PR WITH ANOTHER $100M NEWARK SCHOOLS DONATION’ — “Mark Zuckerberg promises Cory Booker to protect Black Lives Matter from improper surveillance,” by The Record’s Herb Jackson: “Using the five minutes allotted during a marathon hearing two Senate committees had with Zuckerberg about personal data privacy, Booker raised what he called "disturbing" reports that law enforcement groups had used Facebook to monitor African American organizations such as Black Lives Matter. ‘I know you've expressed support for the group,’ Booker said. "But there are a lot of communities of color worried that data can be used to surveil groups like Black Lives Matter, like folks who are trying to organize against substantive issues of discrimination in this country.’ Booker asked if Zuckerberg would commit to ‘ensuring that the freedoms of civil rights activists and others are not targeted, or their work [is] not being undermined.’ ‘Yes, senator, I think that’s very important," Zuckerberg responded.’” Read the report

GHEE WHIZ —“Ghee says GOP needs to attract new people,” by NJ Globe’s David Wildstein: “Republican congressional candidate Antony Ghee today acknowledged that he was a registered Democrat while living in Brooklyn between 1998 and 2000. Ghee, a candidate for Rodney Frelinghuysen’s House seat, says that he moved to Brooklyn after law school and lived there for two years before being transferred for a short stint in Hong Kong. He says was an unaffiliated voter until registering as a Republican earlier this year. “I grew up in a Democratic household in a Democratic community,” Ghee said about his party registration decision. He cited other Democrats who have switched parties: Ronald Reagan, Condoleezza Rice and Rudy Giuliani.” Read the report

CLEARLY A REASONED AND THOUGHT OUT POSITION — “CD2’s Singh: ‘Mueller should be fired immediately’,” by InsiderNJ’s Max Pizarro: “Billing himself as a pro-Trump conservative and in the frontrunner position following his performance during the convention season, Linwood engineer Hirsh Singh supports President Donald J. Trump’s firing of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. Not next week. Now. ‘Mueller should be fired immediately,’ Singh told InsiderNJ. A day after the FBI raided the office of Trump’s lawyer, the CD2 Republican frontrunner decried the federal investigation spearheaded by Mueller. ‘This has nothing to do with Russia — which was why this unending investigation began,’ Singh said.” Read the report

—“Trump will name this Christie ally from Jersey to federal judgeship” Read the report

IF HE DOESN'T WIN THE ELECTION HE'LL JUST CAMP IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE — “Trenton mayoral candidate Darren Green evicted from city property,” by The Trentonian’s David Foster: “City mayoral candidate Darren “Freedom” Green was forced to find a new home before May’s election. Green was recently evicted from a property on the 300 block of Parkway Avenue in Trenton by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, according to documentation provided by the candidate. ‘I’m the victim,’ Green insisted in a phone interview Monday, noting he had lived at the property for 18 years. ‘I haven’t done anything illegal.’ Property records show the home once belonged to former Trenton health officer Richard Salter, who died in 2012.” Read the report

NOT WITH A ROAR BUT A WHIMPER — “Former Morris County Freeholder Hank Lyon backs out of race for new term,” by The Daily Record’s Peggy Wright: “Former Morris County Freeholder William "Hank" Lyon has abruptly backed out of running for another term in the GOP primary election in June, according to his Facebook post and another freeholder. A Montville resident, Lyon, 30, filed his nominating petitions on April 2, the deadline to run in the primary election on June 5. By Friday night, according to his Facebook post, he had backed out, leaving running-mates Deborah Smith, an incumbent, and John Krickus, a former freeholder, without a full ticket for three available terms on the board.” Read the report

THE POWER IS THEIRS — “New power plant for Meadowlands? Company wants to make electricity in NJ for NYC,” by The Record’s Scott Fallon: “A California company is seeking state approval to build one of the largest power plants in New Jersey, a $1.5 billion natural-gas-fueled generating station in the Meadowlands that would send its electricity to New York City. Called the North Bergen Liberty Generating Project, the proposed plant would rival PSEG’s mammoth Bergen Generating Station in nearby Ridgefield for electricity output, at 1,200 megawatts. It would be transported via underground cable to Manhattan, where it could power as many as 1.2 million households. Local officials said it could be an economic boon and a high tax ratable. Environmentalists say it would be a blot on the recovering Meadowlands and could stall efforts to expand renewable energy in New Jersey..” Read the report

DIRTY POLITICS IN HUDSON COUNTY? NOW I’VE SEEN IT ALL — “Castañeda subpoenaed on petition challenge,” by NJ Globe’s David Wildstein: “West New York Democratic Municipal Chairman Jonathan Castañeda has been subpoenaed to appear before a hearing [Wednesday] morning to address allegations that he turned over blank petitions for Democratic County Committee to a rival slate. Town Clerk Carmela Riccie, a tough-as-nails veteran of the Anthony DeFino era, has called a hearing to address a challenge to petitions filed by [Commissioner] Cosmo Cirillo, a Roque rival, as part of a fight over the town’s 58 county committee seats. Roque backs Brian Stack for Hudson County Democratic Chairman, while Cirillo is allied with the anti-Stack forces seeking to secure another term for Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. Last week, lawyers for the Roque-aligned Democratic organization accused Castañeda, Roque’s departing chief of staff, of fraud.” Read the report

PATERSON ‘DAYS SINCE CORRUPTION SCANDAL’ CLOCK SET BACK TO 0 — “Paterson developer accuses mayoral candidate of using city job to benefit private business,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Prominent Paterson developer Charles Florio filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing mayoral candidate Pedro Rodriguez of using his city job in the police department to generate business for a family-owned security camera company. Florio claimed in the lawsuit that Rodriguez, a telecommunications analyst for the city, and another municipal employee, Ramon Joaquin, sold him $40,450 worth of camera equipment from their wives’ firm, Shark Eyes Security, on the grounds that the video footage would be viewed by on-duty Paterson police officers. Florio alleged that he later learned the cameras, which he had installed at several apartment buildings he owns in the 4th Ward, could not be connected to the city’s ‘Eyes on Paterson’ police surveillance system because of technological problems. City officials previously have said that hundreds of privately-owned security cameras were linked to ‘Eyes on Paterson.’” Read the report

—“Family's confusing NJ address costs them $10K to school district” Read the report

—“Hard Rock Atlantic City to announce grand opening and entertainment lineup next week” Read the report

EVERYTHING ELSE

SEX ABUSE SCANDAL — “Bergen Catholic wrestling program accused of sexual and verbal abuse in lawsuit,” by The Record’s Keldy Ortiz and Abott Koloff: “Bergen Catholic High School officials conspired to cover up sexual and verbal abuse in its nationally recognized wrestling program that included the sharing of pornographic images, coaches watching wrestlers strip naked and inappropriate text messages sent to athletes, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a former wrestler. The 29-page, 12-count lawsuit, which was filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County, also alleges that school and Newark Archdiocese officials worked to shield the wrestling coaches from ‘criminal detection’ in a ‘conspiracy to endanger children.’ A former wrestler and his parents allege that the school's president, Brother Brian Walsh, threw him off the team after he complained of abuse during this past wrestling season, according to the suit. The complaint alleges that the school did only a cursory investigation and never contacted authorities.” Read the report

MACGYVER COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR COMMENT — “New Jersey trooper uses computer cable, arrow to save a life,” by The AP: “A New Jersey state trooper used a computer cable and a decorative arrow to save the life of a man who accidentally shot himself. Trooper Roy Sanchez created the makeshift tourniquet when he arrived on the scene Wednesday and found the man bleeding profusely from the gunshot wound to his leg. Medical personnel arrived and applied a second tourniquet, along with clotting gauze to control the bleeding. State Police say the man is in stable condition at a hospital.” Read the report

PORTENT FOR BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS? — “Downtown Trenton evacuated after vehicle crashes into state building,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea: “A stretch of East State Street was shut down and scores of people evacuated after a vehicle went through the window of an empty suite of a downtown state office building Tuesday morning, authorities said. State police closed off the intersection near City Hall after a woman crashed her Honda CRV into the vacant suite and it caught fire, setting off the building’s sprinkler system, said Todd Willever, a battalion chief for the Trenton Fire Department. The call came in around 10:10 a.m. The driver was already out of the vehicle when medical personnel got there and was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.” Read the report

—“More students eating summer meals in New Jersey, report shows”Read the report